Half Life: Advanced Generation
by Your-under-arrest
Summary: 16 years after the Black Mesa Incident, Gordon was never seen again. Now, his brother, Chad, fights to survive the same ordeal that he went through...but something else is behind it all...flames accepted, please R&R!
1. A Fool's Folly

YUA: Ok, this is my first Half-life fic, so be nice. But I absolutely loved the game (and the gore) and just had to do something. So, here it goes.  
  
[These stand for thoughts]  
  
I OWN NOTHING **sob**  
  
-  
  
"Death or defeat?  
  
Heaven or hell?  
  
Friend or foe?  
  
Which will it be, Gordon?"  
  
--Me! (I just made that up when I first played the game. I've got a nasty habit of talking to my video games!)  
  
-  
  
Half-Life: Advanced Generation  
  
-  
  
16 YEARS AGO: THE BLACK MESA INCEDENT  
  
Gordon Freeman, the hero of the incident, was promptly taken to the White House, after having accepted his new terms of 'employment'. But no one ever heard from him again, or saw him even. He's still alive, but he's in too deep to pull out now.  
  
*  
  
Enter Chad Freeman, Gordon's brother. They shared an incredibly strong bond, and when Gordon had left to join the Black Mesa Facility, Chad objected. He was a little brother after all, and no little brother wants to their big brother leave without them. Gordon's leaving tore down any mental barriers in Chad's mind, and he snapped. He went into a depression, and his parents couldn't help. And so we start this story at the Black Mesa Facility, where we find Chad Freeman, top scientist in Anomalous Materials, Sector C. The same place where his brother had worked.  
  
"Chad?! Chad, get your arse over 'ere!"  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming..." Jack Salington, a Brit from Brooklyn, was obviously impatient. Chad got up from his comfortable spinning chair, and found Jack trying to repair a robot.  
  
"Help me with this, will ya? I can't find the bloody hydraulic chamber! And be quick about it! They need this damn thing in Sector C33 by the afternoon!"  
  
"What---? Oh, you idiot! It's right here!' Chad grabbed the screwdriver from Jack's hand, and pointed to the chamber.  
  
"Ah, cut me some slack Chad! I've been here for only a year! Meanwhile you've been here for about three!"  
  
"Doesn't matter. Didn't they train you?" For friends, they often played around like guys usually do. Beating up on each other, yelling at each other...a lot like brothers...almost.  
  
"I swear, if I need to repair this thing once more..." He gives the robot a kick, and it rumbles to life.  
  
"Well, whaddaya know? I actually did it! Chad, you see that?!"  
  
"Yeah, you kicked it." A smirk spread across Chad's face as Jack's smirk disappeared.  
  
"Well, I still fixed it."  
  
"Phone call, Chad. Phone call, Chad." The cold computerized voice alerted Chad to a ringing phone. He referred to the voice as Jennifer. Don't ask why.  
  
"Yeah, I hear ya, Jennifer. Calm down." It was an A.I. bot. Smart enough to have simple conversations and do math equations, but that's all, really.  
  
"Hello?" He brought the receiver up to his ear.  
  
"Yes, Chad?" He instantly recognized the voice.  
  
"Sir!" His body went rigid, and he listened intently to what the head man of the Black Mesa Facility had to say.  
  
"Where's that damned bot I told you to fix?"  
  
"Uh..." Chad gave Jack a quick glance, who was holding up the thumbs up signal.  
  
"It's primed and ready sir."  
  
"Good. Get it to Sector C33 in ten minutes!"  
  
"Yes sir!" He put the phone back on it's cradle, and turned to Jack.  
  
"C'mon, we gotta get this thing to Sector C33."  
  
"Can't we just put it on the railway?"  
  
"Actually, I'm quite curious as to what they need this for..." It was the same type robot that started the whole incident sixteen years ago. Chad shoved the thought out of his mind.  
  
"Ah, speak for y'self. I've had enough work for one day. I'll see you later, chap." Chad turned the robot's independent thinking module off, and put it on remote control.  
  
"Let's go little guy." He pushed forward on the joystick. You know you've been working at this place for too long when you start talking to inanimate objects.  
  
*  
  
"Here it is sir." Chad walked up to The Boss. No one knew his real name, but by God, no one dared ask him.  
  
"Thanks Chad. This experiment is going to change the course of Mankind. This is going to make Black Mesa known to all of the other facilities. In fact, I want you to witness this moment. See that?" He pointed behind him, and Chad looked over his shoulder, seeing an orange crystal.  
  
"S-Sir? What is that?"  
  
"Those fools sixteen years ago didn't know what they where doing! Now, I'm going to complete what they couldn't finish!"  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing." As a scientist, Chad was trained never to object The Boss's orders.  
  
"Where's that bastard, Jack?"  
  
"Ah, he said he's done enough for one day."  
  
"One day! But it's two in the afternoon! It's hasn't even been a day! Lazy son of a---Anyway, let's commence!" The Boss grabbed the controls from Chad's hands, and directed the bot to grab the crystal. He maneuvered the bot onto an elevator, and it was carried down to the reactor. The reactor had since then been rebuilt, and Chad was thankful he wasn't the one out there in the H.E.V. suit, flipping all the switches.  
  
"Sir! Flux capacitors at 95 percent!"  
  
"Good, initiate the Tri-polar emitters!" The top part of the reactor began spinning violently, and bolts of static struck the lower ring, causing that one to spin.  
  
"Tri-polar connections complete! Ready for test sample." The Boss steered the robot holding the sparkling crystal into the vortex.  
  
Then...All the plans fell apart.  
  
As did the building.  
  
"S-S-Sir!! W-What's Happening?"  
  
"I d-don't k-k-know!" All of the men tumbled to the floor, unable to keep their balance. Chad got on his knees and looked through the observatory window. The man inside the H.E.V. Suit was struck by a bolt of electricity, and thrown backwards into the wall.  
  
[What the hell is going on.?!]  
  
"Quick! C-Cut the connections!"  
  
"I-I can't sir! They've gone haywire!"  
  
"Shit! I knew we needed better funding!" As The Boss kept on ranting angrily, a piece of debris fell from the ceiling, and put him out cold.  
  
[At least we don't need to listen to his ramblings...] Thought Chad. Chad stood up and tried to take control.  
  
"Can't you cut the power to the capacitors?!"  
  
"No! Nothing! Everything has gone nuts! This is crazy!"  
  
"We need to stop this! We need to cut the power!!"  
  
"Ah!" Another piece of debris struck the only scientist who was qualified to work the controls. Chad's mind began crawling with memories of the incident, sixteen years ago. He looked up towards the ceiling, where the sky would be, and shouted:  
  
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!!"  
  
"Report! Sector C33! Report!" The com line was still open, and an angry female voice was trying to make contact with someone. Chad staggered over to the speaker on the wall, and pressed the call button.  
  
"We need help, dammit! Get a maintenance crew down here!"  
  
"Freeman? Oh man, whatever you did, I doubt the maintenance team can fix it!"  
  
"This is no time for jokes! I'm serious! The test sample---"  
  
"Test sample? What the hell are you talking about, Freeman?"  
  
"I...I don't know!"  
  
"We were never informed of any test samples being modified today!"  
  
"Well, screw what you were told!"  
  
"Alright, I'm on it!" The com line closed, and Chad was on his own again.  
  
"God, I have to do something!" Chad went to the control console, and his eyes widened when he saw the console.  
  
"This thing has more buttons then a stealth bomber!" The only way to stop the shaking of the facility was to stop the reactor! But he had no idea how! He wasn't trained for this!  
  
"Here goes nothing...!" His hands glided over the panels, pressing whatever button his fingers touched. But, it only seemed to worsen the condition, and the top ring of the reactor shook loose, crashing down onto the unconscious body of the man in the H.E.V. suit. As Chad was watching this, it seemed like he would actually have a chance. The ring's weight was being supported by his suit, but his helmet didn't have such strength. The ring slowly flattened the helmet, the man seeming to be caught in a paradox of death. As the pressure grew more intense, his helmet became oval shaped, and blood spattered on the inside, coloring the helmet crimson. His skull had burst.  
  
As soon as that happened, a watching Chad keeled over, grabbing his stomach. His stomach felt like it was going to burst. He opened his mouth, bile rushing past his lips, and he vomited. But all pain and thoughts stopped abruptly when a chunk of debris bloodied the back of his head, knocking him out. -  
  
YUA: How was that? Did you like it? Please say so in a review! And I will accept flames, seeing as how I'm only 13...^_^;; 


	2. Revelations

YUA: Thanks for the reviews guys. It feels good to have people give positive reviews to your first fic (or, my first fic in THIS game, I've got other game fics ^_^). So here goes the second chapter! Oh, and answers to the reviews:  
  
MikeFS: It may start out very similar to the actual game, but just bear with me here. I'm brainstorming ideas for my own aliens and like it says in the summary, something else is behind it all...**evil grin**  
  
Blizrun: Yes, amen, brudda! I truly believe that Gordon was not an only child. I mean, uh...well, I can't support it, but I just believe he had family! Simple as that! ^_^  
  
-  
  
"Your gonna make it Freeman!  
  
You're gonna live, You're gonna---D'OH!!"  
  
Me (When I was close to dying in the game, I was saying this, and then I got shot up by a marine...)  
  
-  
  
Half Life: Advanced Generation  
  
-  
  
"Freeman? Wake up bloke!" Jack was shaking Freeman's limp body.  
  
"Wake up, dammit!"  
  
"Uhhh...Who---Oh, hey Jack."  
  
"It's about bloody time. What the hell happened here?"  
  
"I...Oh, I don't know. I just don't know. When you'd get here?"  
  
"About five minutes ago. You were out. I thought you were dead!"  
  
"Is The Boss still here?"  
  
"Nah, I didn't see him. Damn bugger probably ran away."  
  
"Probably...Ow!"  
  
"Watch it, chap. You got a nasty bump on your head." Chad reached a hand behind his head, and felt a dried clot of blood.  
  
"C'mon, We should report to a security station."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but I can help but wonder..." Chad looked out the observatory window. The fallen ring was still there. But...no body...  
  
"W-W-What the hell?!"  
  
"Easy, take it easy..."  
  
"Where's the body?!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, but hurry up! We gotta get going. An evacuation call was made."  
  
"I'm all for that."  
  
"Yeah, I know how you feel. Can you walk?"  
  
"Yeah." Chad slowly got on his feet, and walked around just inside the room, testing to see if he was disoriented or not. He was just fine.  
  
"Alright. Ready to go."  
  
"Rightio, chap. This way." They both stepped out into the corridor, and looked both ways, like on a street. Debris scattered the hallways, and even a few spots of faintly colored red stuff.  
  
"W-What's that?!" Chad pointed to a red spot on the floor.  
  
"Ah, just some chipped paint. Came off during the quake. See?" Jack pointed to the wall, and there were indeed some spots of paint missing.  
  
"Hello? Anyone here?" Jack called out. Nothing.  
  
"Wait, there's a com line in the control room. Let's try that." Chad returned into the room they had just left, while Jack stayed outside, keeping watch. He presses on the call button.  
  
"Someone? Anyone?" He heard nothing but static and messed up computer gibberish.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Well, c'mon then! The security station's this way!" Jack grabbed Chad's wrist and practically led him by the hand down the hall.  
  
"Bloody Christ!" Jack fell into the wall, vomiting the whole way.  
  
"What?! What is---Oh my God..." The security station had been painted in a deep shade of crimson, and a guard sat in the chair, half of his face missing. Brains were spattered out on the wall behind him. It looked like a gunshot, but no There weren't any bullet holes. And the guards here didn't carry shotguns! They carried pistols! And no pistol here could tear off have of your face!  
  
"Easy man. I did the exact same thing." Chad gave Jack a pat on the back. His chest was heaving, trying to draw air back into his lungs.  
  
"What the hell happened...?"  
  
"I told you, I don't know!"  
  
"Obviously, something bad. Check to see if he's still got his gun."  
  
"Me?! Why me?! You do it!"  
  
"Your bloody crazy! I don't want to end up like that bloke!"  
  
"And you think I do?!"  
  
"Fine! We'll go together!" They both started walking towards the guard box, when Chad suddenly grabbed Jack's shoulder.  
  
"Wait...aren't there usually TWO guards in a single box?"  
  
"Hey, you're right..."  
  
"Keep your eyes peeled..." They continued advancing, and turned into the doorway leading to the half-faced guard. Chad was the first one to see what was inside.  
  
"Dear God!" Inside was another guard, sprawled across the floor, his neck twisted at such an angle that the folds in his skin counted at three, and his face screaming at the sky. Chad felt the bile rising once more, but he managed to suppress it.  
  
"Well? Any guns?" Chad managed to spot a single 9mm pistol and only two clips.  
  
"Yeah, just one."  
  
"Well, take it and let's go!" Chad grabbed the firearm, saying a prayer in his head for the fallen men, and he and Jack continued on their way. Chad could hear his own heart beat. That's how quiet it was. His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest any moment now. He calmly put a hand up to the pulse on his neck. Jesus. It was goin' a mile a minute.  
  
"So, where do we go now?"  
  
"We need to find other survivors of whatever the hell just happened."  
  
"Right, right...and, uh, how do you plan to do this?"  
  
"How the hell should I know?! Just look around!"  
  
"What's that?!"  
  
"What?" Jack's eyes caught a glimpse of an orange figure.  
  
"Shit! Get your gun ready!" Chad jammed a clip into the pistol and aimed...uh, somewhere.  
  
"Where is this thing? What are you talking about?!"  
  
"I don't know. I saw this human thing...but it wasn't! It was orange, for Christ's sake!"  
  
"God, what is down here?"  
  
"Aliens?"  
  
"Aw, man! Don't even joke about something like that!"  
  
"Well, I sure as hell know that no human could snap a man's neck like we saw!" That was true. Fear swallowed Chad's mind. His body began shaking violently.  
  
"Chad? Whatsa' matter?"  
  
"Hostile...aliens...it's too much...I can't deal with it..." He slumped to the floor, sitting up against a wall.  
  
"Aye, chap! Be strong! We're gonna make it! Just keep a tight grip on that gun there!"  
  
"I hope so, Jack. I really hope so..."  
  
"That's the spirit." Brits. Ya gotta love'em. No matter what the situation, all they can do is remain in a cheerful mood and try and spread the mood around.  
  
"C'mon let's go. We should find the bot team. If they made the robot, perhaps they know what it was going to be used for."  
  
"Great idea!"  
  
"Of course it is!" A smile spread across Jack's face.  
  
"C'mon, now. Up ya go!" He grabbed Chad's hand and pulled him to his feet.  
  
"Now, shall we? I think the one with the gun should go first."  
  
"Wow. Thanks pal." Sarcasm was practically dripping from Chad's mouth.  
  
"Anytime." With Chad leading, they continued down the halls trying to make their way to the bot lab. Unfortunately, it was a long way, and covered at least two buildings.  
  
"I think it's this way." They turn into another hall, and a...living being!  
  
"Hey, look! It's Samuel!" Chad rushed to Samuel's side, as did Jack, and bent down to his level.  
  
"Aye, Sam! You alright?" Sam was breathing heavily. He's been known to have problems similar to asthma.  
  
"I...I saw this, this...thing. It took Carson, whatever the hell it was. I heard screams...a sickening crunch...God! This wasn't supposed to happen!" That last remark immediately sparked the interest of the two men.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"They're here! Don't you have any idea what I'm talking about?! It's a portal! It's an invasion! They're hostile! We've done the worst thing mankind could ever do! We've created another resonance cascade!"  
  
"Whoa, calm down. Are you sane?" A silly but just question. He nodded.  
  
"Can you calmly explain to us what was supposed to happen?"  
  
"The test sample...it was supposed to be sterilized and stable. But no. Boss wanted a totally unaltered sample. Idiot, I said. You can't do that! But he didn't listen. And he paid his life for it."  
  
"You saw him?!"  
  
"Indeed. Another one of those horrible...things grabbed him." Jack turned to Chad.  
  
"Not your average killer."  
  
"Killers." Samuel corrected him.  
  
"You mean, as in more than one?!" He nodded disdainfully.  
  
"Blimey! What they hell do they look like?"  
  
"White...quadruped...excellent jumpers. Watch out for them. Vicious little things, they are."  
  
"Right, we'll---Anyone else hear that?" The other two men shook their heads, while Chad listened intently.  
  
"It sounds like a slight...a slight scratching sound..."  
  
"Oh God! Oh God! It's another one!" He got up and began to run.  
  
"Wait!" Jack grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Let go of me!" Samuel squirmed free, and continued running down the hall.  
  
"...Maniac."  
  
"Ah! Ah!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
"---The hell?!" Both Jack and Chad stared in wonder at the screaming man, as the scientist was pulled into the overhead ventilation shaft. A snapping of bones was heard, and a few body parts fell out of the pipe, most noticeably, the head.  
  
"Oh shit! Those damned things could be anywhere!" Moaning was radiating from above, and Chad unloaded a magazine into the pipe above them. The moaning stopped.  
  
"I think you got it."  
  
"Don't speak to soon."  
  
"What are you talking about? You shot the damn thing! Otherwise, it'd still be---Bloody hell!" A thing exactly like Sam had described crashed through a grate, and onto the floor.  
  
"THIS is what is killing everyone? It's like a small pet!"  
  
"Jack, watch it..."  
  
"Look at it! It's so small! Hey, little fella, c'mere...HOLY SHIT!!!!" The ugly thing reared on it's back legs, revealing a mouth as a gaping hole down the length of it's body. It sprung at Jack, but he dodged.  
  
"Shoot it! Shoot the blasted thing!" Chad let fly with a single round, and the bullet struck it's target, ripping through the creature.  
  
"It's like one of my childhood nightmares! This is nuts!"  
  
"Calm down Jack. If they're that easy to take care of, they shouldn't pose to much of a problem."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're r---Ya just had to say that didn't you?!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"That!!" He pointed, and Chad turned around. There, advancing towards them, were about six more of those things.  
  
"So they hunt in packs? So...pretty much, were screwed, right?"  
  
"Not if we RUN!!!" Both men bolted the opposite way, being sure to steer clear of where the scientist was sucked up into the ventilation. Not even bothering to look back, Chad fired off a single shot.  
  
"What the hell was that supposed to do?!"  
  
"I dunno! Scare them a little...?"  
  
"Stop there!" Jack skid to a halt, and Chad bumped into him. It was a guard.  
  
"Name and identification please!"  
  
"Were in a crisis dammit, and you're still doing your job?!"  
  
"Quick man, there's a whole bunch of these bug things following us."  
  
"I know exactly what you're talking about." He pulls his pistol from it's holster, and cautiously peeked around the corner.  
  
"Well, seems you guys have a fan club."  
  
"Just shoot them!" The guard spun out from around the corner, and fired exactly six shots.  
  
"That'll take care of them. As I was saying...?"  
  
"Chad Freeman, Anomalous Materials, Sector C."  
  
"Jack Salington, mate. Anomalous Materials, Sector C."  
  
"And what's your clearance?"  
  
"Both of us have level 4 clearance." Chad bragged. Most scientists only receive level 3, but Chad and Jack and a few others were valuable to Black Mesa.  
  
"Great. Perhaps you can open this door for me?"  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"There." He pointed to a door. Behind it, were two scientists.  
  
"Sure thing, bud." Jack stepped up to the retinal scanner, looking scratched up, but in working condition. He put his face into the goggles, and a computerized voice rang out.  
  
"Jack Salington. Level 4: access granted. You are clear." The doors slid open, and both scientist stumbled through, wide smiles on their faces.  
  
"Oh God, thank you so much! We thought we were going to die! All of our colleagues were...were...oh, God!" The scientist broke down, fell to his knees, and started crying. The other one finished his sentence for him.  
  
"Our colleagues were...infected, or something resembling a parasitic infection."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Headcrabs."  
  
"You actually took the time to name those damn little buggers?!"  
  
"They latch onto the victims skull, using their saliva to disintegrate all barriers between the brain and skin. Eventually, they envelope the whole head, and their nervous system connects with the victims spinal column, giving the creature complete control of the body."  
  
"Well, shit, that sounds like a lovely pet, don't it, Jack?"  
  
"Shut it."  
  
"Where are you two heading?" The guard turned his gaze back to Chad and Jack.  
  
"The bot labs. If they made the robot that handled the test sample, maybe they will know what's happening."  
  
"Good idea. I hope you guys make it. Wait, I've got a clearance card."  
  
"To...?"  
  
"To the armory!"  
  
"Excellent!" The guard went into his box, and opened a locker, coming back out with pistols for everyone, and at least two magazines per person.  
  
"This is it?"  
  
"We're here for security, not to fight a war."  
  
"Well, then the military should be here." As soon as Jack had said this, stories from survivors flooded his mind. The military tried to wipe them out last time. They sent in death squads, for Christ's sake!  
  
"No! No! Don't say that! Last time, they sent in death squads! They were sent to kill everyone!"  
  
"Chad? What in God's name are you talking about?" Chad was the only one that remembered the last time. Or at least, from the stories he heard.  
  
"If the military comes, we're all dead!"  
  
"Chad, are YOU sane?" As everyone was staring at Chad, the guard spoke up again.  
  
"The next Security Station is in the next building. It's on the way to the bot labs."  
  
"Thanks." Chad slammed another clip into his gun, and started towards the door that connected the two buildings.  
  
"Chad! Wait up man!" Jack ran after him, keeping his watchful eyes on the walls and ceiling.  
  
"We're going to be outside for a few minutes. So be sure to keep your eyes open."  
  
"Oh, trust me, there are WIDE open." Chad pushed through the metal double doors, and artificial sunlight hit them.  
  
"The bio-dome..."  
  
"Yeah. Jungle, Tundra, Ocean, Forest, and Swamp. They could hide anywhere."  
  
"Isn't there another way?"  
  
"Nope." Jack cursed under his breath, while Chad took a deep breath.  
  
"Let's move."  
  
"I'm going...which do we go through first?"  
  
"If we head straight, we would only pass through the Jungle and Tundra."  
  
"Great. My favorites." As soon as they stepped into the Jungle habitat, a blast of heat and humidity hit them.  
  
"Christ, it's hot!"  
  
"Welcome to the jungle." And so they pressed on, making sure not to get split up and keeping their eyes over the tress and brush.  
  
"Help! Help me!"  
  
"What the---?" A scientist came from the underbrush, and grabbed Jack's shoulders.  
  
"Game over man! It's game over!"  
  
"Blimey, man! Calm down!" The scientist shook Jack, and Jack pried him off.  
  
"What's coming? What are you running from?!"  
  
"One of those things! It's after me! It killed Harley!"  
  
"Stand back." Chad got his pistol ready, pointing it at where the scientist came from.  
  
"Oh---Gah!"  
  
"JESUS CHRIST!!" A headcrab had jumped down from the trees above, and attached itself to the unfortunate scientist's head.  
  
"Get it off! Help me!"  
  
"I got it, don't worry."  
  
"Jack, no! If you shoot it, you'll kill him too!"  
  
"Argh! What do we do?!"  
  
"I dunno! Beat it off or something!"  
  
"With what?!"  
  
"Help---yaaahhhhh!!!" Both men had their eyes wide open with disgust and fear, as a huge crack split down the scientist's front, revealing his ribcage, and other internal organs.  
  
"God...What is it?!"  
  
"Shoot! Shoot it! Shoot the damned thing!" Both Jack and Chad pumped six shots into the thing. Each bullet flew true, and tore through the dead but living body, and it slumped to they ground, strange olive green blood leaking out through each hole.  
  
"Looks like the infection doesn't take that long to occur." Chad examined the body, while Jack got violently sick against a tree.  
  
"Jack, more of the same is going to happen. You can't do this every time." He coughed a little, and looked at Chad with pleading eyes.  
  
"I...I can't handle it! I can't handle all of this death! It's too much! I'm not like you! I've never seen death! For God's sake, I'm only twenty-two! I've got two sons! I don't want to go like that!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Sir, we've got a situation." The pentagon was in chaos over the newly arisen situation.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Code XR-97."  
  
"Resonance cascade?!"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Damn! I though we cleaned that place up!"  
  
"Casualties have already been reported by satellite surveillance. You have authorization from the President to send in military forces. Access to level six Spec Ops, Black Ops, and Death Squads. What is your decision sir?"  
  
"Didn't I tell the President to shut that place down?! Why didn't he listen?! And now, we've another cascade! No one listens to the old generals anymore!"  
  
"Sir? We need a decision. What's it going to be?"  
  
"Send in the Spec Ops and Death Squads. I don't want to risk the Black Ops...yet..."  
  
* * * *  
  
"C'mon. We've got to move. It's too bad those little buggers can climb too."  
  
"Chad...do you think we'll make it?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Wouldn't it be easier to...to...end it? All? Now?"  
  
"Jack...? What are you implying?" Jack nervously twirled the gun around his hand.  
  
"Don't do it...don't think about it...Jack..."  
  
"I've always wondered...what death is like..." He raised the gun to his head.  
  
"Jack!" Chad dived and tore the gun from his hands.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?! Don't you realize you're being selfish?! What about your kids and wife?! Don't they want to see you again?! WELL?!?"  
  
"I...I'm sorry...I don't know..." A lone tear fell from his eyes. Chad reached into Jack's lab coat and pulled out something stuck on a gold chain.  
  
"You see this?! We're going to make it, because he is watching over us!" A cross was on the end of the chain, and Jack's eyes were transfixed upon the object. His eyes seem to come alive again, and a new strength surged through him. He grabbed the cross from Chad's hand, said a silent prayer, and grabbed his gun back. Cocking the gun, making sure it was loaded full, he said,  
  
"We're goin' on a bug hunt."  
  
"That's more like it. Don't ever do that again, alright? You scared the shit outta me."  
  
"We Brits don't give up so easily. We may go temporarily insane, but we don't give up." Like I said. Brits. Ya gotta love'em.  
  
"Just watch the trees above you. Damn things are pretty smart."  
  
"Yeah, now can we go? It's bloody hot!"  
  
"I agree. This way." They sped off, leaving the body of the infected man.  
  
- - -  
  
"Wait. I think I just solved their predator-instincts. After they latch onto the head, the spinal column enlarges for better sensory detection. And thus, splitting the body down the middle. And, somehow, they must mutate the body to their liking."  
  
"Brilliant Holmes. Can you worry about that crap later? I mean, blimey! We're about to enter the tundra, and here you are, a scientist with a gun, trying to unravel the mystery of some damn bug...chicken...thing."  
  
"This is important to the scientific community!"  
  
"You know what's more important? Our lives."  
  
"Good point."  
  
"Look." Jack pointed to the penguin area, where a large cold lake had been colored a ghastly red, and slight ripples decorated the lake.  
  
"Good God." They edged closer to the lake, their eyes darting in every single direction, searching for an answer or another creature. Bodies of scientist were scattered all over. They all shared one common element: they all had several deep gashes all over their bodies.  
  
"This is sick..."  
  
"Shit...what the hell is that?!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look..." Both men watched as a bump in the water traveled to the body of a scientist, who was half in the water, half out, his coat stained with his own essence. The bump reached his body, and it slipped into the water, bubbles forming where it had once been.  
  
"Christ..."  
  
"Oh God!" The top half of the scientist surfaced again, and flew through the air, landing with a sickening thud and slowly sliding on the ice before coming to a stop. Whatever was in the water, it spit it out.  
  
"Must not like the taste."  
  
"Chad! Ain't you got any respect for the dead?! You don't crack jokes on'em!"  
  
"Sorry...just trying to lighten the mood..."  
  
"I say we shoot the thing."  
  
"Save your ammo. It's not bothering us, so leave it. It's no threat."  
  
"But...ah, fine."  
  
"Ah, yes! There's the door to the bot labs!"  
  
-  
  
YUA: Ah, that was long.::yawn:: Please, leave a review or I'll sic a chicken thing on ye!  
  
Random Guy: That's a headcrab.  
  
YUA: -_-;; 


	3. Contact

YUA: Ok ::deep breath:: Here are some answers to your reviews...  
  
hao: I know that this is looking a lot like the game, but like I told MikeFS, just bear with me here. And if you 'read in between the lines', as I like to say, you'll see that he was told some stories from survivors. And for the record, did you go into any type of bot lab in the game? I think not.  
  
jason storm: Thanks!  
  
Blizrun: Yes, it will take a different route, and yes, I did notice that picture in his locker...hmmm...  
  
MikeFS: Yes, if you've seen the first 'Alien' movie, you should recognize that line. One of the marines say it (I forget which). It was my favorite line from the whole movie! ^_^  
  
-  
  
Half Life: Advanced Generation  
  
-  
  
"Hello? Anybody here? Alive or otherwise?"  
  
"Jack, I really don't think they're going to answer if they're 'otherwise', okay?" Chad and Jack had entered the bot labs, and were searching for anyone able to help them.  
  
"Y-Y-Yes? Who's there?!" A voice!  
  
"Fellow scientist! Where are you?!"  
  
"Right here." A scientist stepped out from the shadows, and had a look of relief on his face.  
  
"Did you know of any test samples being altered today?"  
  
"Yes, The Boss brought in sample from the, uh...'place' and mixed it with a few other things. The experiment was bound to fail. It was supposed to be totally unaltered."  
  
"Okay, now can tell us what's happening now?"  
  
"A resonance cascade."  
  
"Mm-hm, now, can you tell us what the hell that is?"  
  
"As soon as the test sample entered the nexus, a connection to the borderworld of Xen was made. But I don't understand...Nihilanth was already destroyed...Gordon made sure of it..."  
  
"My brother?!"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Chad Freeman."  
  
"Ah, yes...These creatures belong to Nihilanth, but Gordon killed him. So why are these things still coming through the portals?"  
  
"What do you know about my brother?"  
  
"Gordon? Well...he was supposed to be observing the test today."  
  
"But he...Jack! How many suits were missing from the locker room?!"  
  
"Uh, I think two."  
  
"Ok, the guy in the test chamber makes up one...so my brother is somewhere in the compound!"  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
"Just curious..." Chad turned to the scientist.  
  
"What's your clearance?"  
  
"Level six."  
  
"That's what I thought. Well, can you offer us any assistance?"  
  
"Yes, I can---" His sentence was cut short as several bullets ripped through him, pinning him against the wall and finally sliding down, leaving a smear of blood on the wall.  
  
"Shit! What is it?!"  
  
"It's a security bot! But, why is it shooting at scientists?!" Both men dove behind a durable metal plate, while bullets screamed overhead.  
  
"It must've gone haywire! But how?!" The bullets stopped momentarily, and something pertaining to electricity was heard. Shortly thereafter, the bullets tore through the air again.  
  
"Someone is directing the bot! But why are they doing this?!"  
  
"Don't ask me, mate! Ask the guy!"  
  
"The bullets are only overhead, so do you think you could peek out the side and pop a bullet off at the bot, Jack?"  
  
"Bloody crazy!"  
  
"It's our only chance."  
  
"Argh! Fine. But if I die, I'm coming back to haunt you." Jack leaned around the corner, bullets staying overhead, and readied his gun. The gunshot resonated throughout the labs, and the bot toppled over, sparks jetting from the independent thinking module.  
  
"FREEZE!!" Chad popped up to warn the man directing the bots, but froze. It was no man.  
  
"J-J-J-Jack? W-What the h-hell is that?!"  
  
"Don't ask me, just shoot it!"  
  
"What if this one is peaceful?" The alien brought it's hands to it's chest, and bolts of static radiated from the bracelets on it's arms.  
  
"Duck!" They did, and two large bolts streaked through the air over them, striking another security bot.  
  
"Shit! These things are smart!" Both men got up and ran to the other side of the room as the bot came to life, it's laser sensor 'eyes' lighting up, and it walked out from it's stall, testing it's limbs. The alien seemed to control the bot, as it guided the bot's direction and firing where the two men where hiding.  
  
"Ok, this time, shoot that thing, while I get the bot."  
  
"Rightio. 'Bout time I killed me self a bug." Chad rolled out from cover, firing two shots, while Jack popped up, nailing the creature in it's one large eye.  
  
"God! What is it?" They slowly approached the lifeless body, looking it up and down.  
  
"The bracelets...these are the weapons. There's one around the neck too. So, when all three bands get close to one another, it excites the particles in close vicinity, charging up a powerful bolt of electricity. Pretty much like a homemade lightning bolt." Chad knelt beside the thing, poking the bands of green with his gun.  
  
"Look! The guy had a talker!" Jack picked up a walkie talkie from the man's pocket, the one that was shot just a few moments ago.  
  
"Maybe we can reach someone!" Chad snatched it away from Jack, and brought it up to his mouth.  
  
"Anyone? Come in. Come in, over."  
  
"Unit 3, ready at your command sir."  
  
"---The hell? Um, standby." Chad cut the line, and turned to the dead scientist.  
  
"This is no scientist..." He reached inside the man's jacket, pulling out two shimmering dog tags.  
  
"SGT James Colowell, Unit 3, U.S. Marines...Shit! The military is here! We're screwed!"  
  
"What are you saying, mate? This is wonderful! We're gonna be fine with them watching our backs."  
  
"They're after us! They're here to silence everyone involved with Black Mesa!"  
  
"And just how the hell do you know this?"  
  
"I just do! Survivor stories!"  
  
"Survivors? We've only found 3 and none of them said anything about the military!"  
  
"No, from sixteen years ago!"  
  
"What happened sixteen years ago?"  
  
"It---ugh, nevermind! We just have to get out of here!"  
  
* * *  
  
"ETA 30 minutes." The pilot of the Osprey shouted back, making sure the Colonel heard him.  
  
"Good. Alright everyone, listen up! Our mission is too kill anything that moves, got it?"  
  
"Sir! Yes sir!"  
  
"Scientists, guards, aliens, anything! Just like last time..." Colonel J. P. Stalen. He was there last time...He saw all of the carnage happen right before his eyes. Is was immoral to him, but his duty was to follow orders.  
  
"ETA 25 minutes!"  
  
"Alright, boys! This ain't going to be an easy mission! Some of you may not come back! You may be eaten, ripped apart, maimed...you get the idea---" He looked around to see the effect of his words. Not a single marine tore his attention away. Good.  
  
"So, I want you to use every bit of strength, ammo, and any underhanded tactics you might have! Anything to get back home! Got it?"  
  
"Sir! Yes, sir!"  
  
"Lieutenant! Echo Team, Unit 6 had made their first contact!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"C'mon. Let's keep moving. Now we have two groups of things that want us dead."  
  
"Wait a sec, mate. I don't think this guy would travel far from his unit. What if they're close by?"  
  
"That's why we gotta go!"  
  
"Okay, okay! No need to get huffy!" Chad scowled, while Jack took the lead down the hall, going deeper into the labs.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Jaleson and Collins! Scout up ahead!"  
  
"Sir!" Both men took the lead and proceeded to do as they were instructed. Both switched to radio communications.  
  
"Sir! We have two contacts. Both scientists. Orders?"  
  
"Kill'em."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Shhh...you hear that?"  
  
"No...?"  
  
"It sounds like a..." Suddenly, bullets streaked through the air, and both men pulled back behind a corner.  
  
"See?! The military is here to kill us!"  
  
"Alright! I don't need anymore proof!" Jack checked his gun, as did Chad, and got ready to fire. But the bullets stopped.  
  
"Are they gone?"  
  
"I doubt it..."  
  
"There!" A soldier, clad in a heavy bullet proof vest and black-on- white fatigues came around the corner, leveling the barrel of his gun at Chad's head. Chad shut his eyes tight, waiting for the impending bullet about to be lodged in his skull.  
  
BAM!!  
  
The soldier dropped to the ground, blood quickly filling his gas mask. Chad turned to see Jack with his gun raised, still in firing position.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You have no idea how hard it was to kill another human."  
  
"Humans are reasonable. These bastards aren't."  
  
"Doesn't matter."  
  
"There's another one. I can hear him."  
  
"Yeah, me too. I say we bite the bullet."  
  
"I'm all for that." Chad quickly peeked around the corner, making note of the position of the soldiers and any available cover.  
  
"Well? How many?"  
  
"They've got one up front and three hanging back. There are two crates on the left side of the hall, and an oil barrel further down. I'm gonna hit the barrel. You hide behind the crates."  
  
"Rightio." Jack said a quick prayer before running from his current cover. Bullets whizzed by as he barely made it to the crates. As their attention was focused on Jack, Chad spun out from around the corner and fired off two shots, the second one striking the oil barrel. Of course, the black liquid ignited and exploded, sending two soldiers to their deaths. Jack popped up, unloading two rounds into the nearest soldier, who dropped a cooked grenade.  
  
"Jack! Watch it!" He got up, running in from his spot, and dove forward. The grenade disappeared in a fantastic explosion, and Jack lay unscathed in front of the last soldier. A look of horror came upon Jack before he looked up, his face being met by the barrel of an assault rifle. The gun clicked, and the soldier began to pull the trigger.  
  
"Drop it." Chad appeared from out of the flames, his gun held to the back of the soldier's head. Chad didn't want to kill him, but if that's what it came down to...  
  
"I said drop it, dammit!" He reluctantly let his weapon fall to the floor, and proceeded to put his hands in the air.  
  
"C'mon, the grenades too!" He unbuckled the bandoleer of explosives from around his waist, and they fell to the floor.  
  
"Now slowly turn around." The soldier did as he was told, and turned his masked face to Chad, a grim look in his eyes. Chad reached for the mask, and the soldier's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and pulling his arm behind his back, threatening to break it.  
  
"The tables have turned." The words came in the form of a whisper as he pulled a knife from his sleeve, letting it glint on the light before bringing it to Chad's throat. A grunt and a gunshot were heard, and the soldier tumbled to the ground, a gaping hole in his arm.  
  
"Ugh...bastards..." Chad reached for the mask, pulling it off and recoiling in shock.  
  
"You're...You're a woman?!"  
  
"You got a problem with that?" Blonde hair fell from her helmet, and piercing blue eyes met Chad's.  
  
"I thought women weren't allowed in the death squads!"  
  
"You thought wrong."  
  
"So what are you doing here, huh?"  
  
"Just following orders."  
  
"And what are these 'orders', may I ask?"  
  
"To kill every single last one of your kind."  
  
"My kind? You are human too, are you not?"  
  
"Wha---Yes, but..." Her eyes wavered, and she looked away.  
  
"What's this? A soldier looking away from the gaze of a lowly scientist?" Her head immediately whipped back, a fire now raging inside of her blue eyes.  
  
"Not on your life."  
  
"Why are you doing this? How are we different from you?"  
  
"I'm simply following orders, and those orders clearly state---"  
  
"Screw the orders! I'm asking you why you're doing this!" Shock overcame Jack's face. He had always known Chad to be quite the ladies' man. But not now. This wasn't like Chad at all. He'd never raise his voice to a female. A similar expression was upon the woman's face, as her mouth opened but no words came out.  
  
"Well?!"  
  
"I...I don't know..."  
  
"Did you ever think that your orders might be immoral? Unreasonable? Stupid?!"  
  
"...I'm trained to do what I'm told."  
  
"If they told you to kill yourself, would you?!"  
  
"Possibly."  
  
"Jesus...they've totally brainwashed you, haven't they?" Chad quirked an eyebrow as a scowl appeared on her face.  
  
"Where are you tags?"  
  
"Why?" He saw the glint of metal, and reached for the two tags hanging from a chest pocket.  
  
"Excuse you!"  
  
"Er, sorry..." Chad's cheeks turned red, and Jack kneeled down by her side.  
  
"Why did you shoot me in the arm? Why didn't you kill me?"  
  
"It's not polite to kill a lady."  
  
"You didn't know what I was."  
  
"I knew you were human."  
  
"I...nevermind. So, are you going to kill me now?" Her eyes begged for death, and Jack saw it. But he wasn't going to do it. Nope. Never. Chad spoke up again.  
  
"PVT Jennifer Macklevene, Unit 6. What was your insertion?"  
  
"Helicopter. Osprey."  
  
"Do you know what lies down here?"  
  
"I've seen them. Half of my team was massacred by them too."  
  
"Hmph." Chad looked towards her dropped weapon.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"An assault rifle, dumb ass. What's it look like?"  
  
"Don't get smart. What is it?!"  
  
"M4A1 with an attached M203 grenade launcher."  
  
"Do they have any identification systems? Can we use them?"  
  
"Unfortunately." Chad picked up one of the rifles from a dead body, examing it beofre making sure it was loaded.  
  
"Can you still handle one of these?"  
  
"Of course. A shot in the arm is nothing."  
  
"Good. Get up. You're going to help us get out of this hell hole."  
  
"How do you know I won't kill you both?"  
  
"Because I know that no one, not even a trained marine, wants to be alone in this place." Her piercing blue eyes were no longer filled with fire, but puzzlement. She took her gun, and followed both men down the hall, vowing to kill them both before this was all over.  
  
-  
  
YUA; Hiya! I just got back from camp! It was fun! Sorry I took a while to update, but I hope this chappie was worth it! And if you people still think this is going to be the same as the game, you can either wait or find our, OR...you can send me an email asking me to tell you the whole plot. So, if you like, you can ruin it for yourself and take the latter option. Just a warning... 


	4. Expectations

YUA: Blah! Hi people. I am now officially paranoid. Just saw the Animatrix. The Machines are after me! GAH! **falls off of chair** Anyway, here's another chappie! But first, answers to your reviews!  
  
Blizrun: No comment..mwahaha...  
  
Hao: O.o Saywa? I know what you're trying to say with the Spore launcher. You mean the hivearm, right? But...the hell is a shock roach? Or the Shock Trooper? O.o Eh?  
  
jason storm: Waha! Once again, thank you very much!  
  
MikeFS: Mwahaaa! Thanks! Yeah, you're not alone. The military WERE the coolest enemies in the game (next to the gargantuan.)  
  
Is that it?...Yeah, that about covers it. Here we go! **loads up assault rifle**  
  
-  
  
Half-Life: Advanced Generation  
  
-  
  
"So, Jennifer..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You got any family?" Jack was just trying to create some conversation. The silence was making him very edgy.  
  
"Just my parents." Her face remained emotionless, and she would not tear her head away from looking straight ahead.  
  
"Where you from?"  
  
"Nevada."  
  
"Got a boyfriend?" Oops. Wrong thing to say.  
  
"What is this, twenty questions?!" Her gun was level with the bridge of his nose, and his heart stopped momentarily.  
  
"Knock it off you two. We have more things to worry about than meaningless questions." Chad looked back, an evident look of disdain upon his face.  
  
"Just trying to make some conversation..." Jack shrugged, doing a miserable job at hiding how scared he was. Sweat was running down his face.  
  
"Well, make it with someone else." Jennifer let her gun rest at her side again, but keeping a tight hold on the trigger. Her eyes staying fixed upon Jack's face. Jack thought for a moment, and trotted up to Chad's side, making sure Jennifer couldn't hear him.  
  
"Hey, what's gonna happen when we meet some more of her buddies? I doubt she'll just stand there and let us shoot at them, let alone help us. I don't think we can trust her."  
  
"I don't trust her either. But the humane thing to do is at least give her a chance. If she threatens us in anyway, then that's when we know we can't trust her."  
  
"Excuse me? Something about trust?" Jennifer's smug face was turned in their direction.  
  
"Uh, no, no! Nothing!" Jack resumed his position at the back, scratching his head. Jennifer was in between, so in case anything happened, either Chad or Jack could take her out.  
  
"Hey, Jennifer?"  
  
"What is it now?"  
  
"What kinds of aliens have you seen?"  
  
"I've seen 3 kinds. These white things that have been affectionately dubbed headcrabs, some kinda zombie, and something resembling a three legged cow with a squids head. Anything different for you?"  
  
"We haven't seen the latter, but we did see this one variety...they're brownish in color, and have one extremely large eye. They wear three green bands."  
  
"Sounds friendly." An extremely rare laugh was shared between all three of them. She pulled out a small white box, and took out a cigarette.  
  
"You smoke?"  
  
"You can't be in the Army if you don't know how to sneak in smokes." A grin played across her face.  
  
"Want one?"  
  
"I don't smoke."  
  
"Damn right I want one!" Jack, on the other hand, loved them. He wasn't an addict, far from it actually, but when he was offered one, he would never turn it down. She handed him one, and pulled out a lighter. It sparked before a flame rose. She offered it to Jack first, then used it herself. She put the box and light away. She might as well play them for fools right now, making them believe she was befriending them As soon as her other buddies come by, a bullet to the head in each, and she'll be with another group to boot. Sounds easy enough.  
  
"Ugh! What is that god-awful stench?!" Chad's nose cringed, and Jennifer put on her gas mask. Meanwhile, Jack also tried to breathe through his nose as little as possible. They turned a corner and found the source of the stench.  
  
An incredible battle took place in the Mess hall. Aptly named, it seemed. Bodies of soldiers, aliens, and scientists lay scattered across the floor. Bullet holes riddled the walls, and spent ammunition was everywhere. The smell of death and gunpowder was heavy. A thought crossed Chad's mind, and he ran over to the body of a scientist, ripping off the nametag.  
  
"Godamn! This was the bot team!"  
  
"What'd you need them for?" Jennifer was oblivious to the reasons.  
  
"If they made the bot that handled the test sample, they would've probably best understood what's happening!"  
  
"Well, too bad. Looks like you need to find another way."  
  
"Y'know, YOUR life ALSO hangs in the balance, you smug son of a---"  
  
"Don't get mad at me! I didn't anything!"  
  
"Chad, what's that matter with you? You've gone nuts!"  
  
"I want to get out of here."  
  
"Join the club! But it's no excuse for your childish behavior!"  
  
"So then, where do we go next, huh? Where?!"  
  
"Well, what's more important? Finding out how this all started, or getting out of here alive? I say we put it to a vote! All who want out raise your hand!"  
  
"You're mocking me..."  
  
"Cut it out you two! Neither of you are getting us anywhere! If my opinion counts at all, I say we head to the vehicle garage! Up at the surface! And get the hell out of here!" Silence ensued, and both men were bewildered.  
  
"It's always the women with the good ideas..." Jack shrugged. Jennifer took off running.  
  
"Damn right it is! Now let's go!"  
  
-  
  
YUA: Damn, that chappie was short. Aw geez...My other personality is taking over...gah! Noo!  
  
YUA's soft side: Hiya!  
  
Reviewers: What the---? Who the hell are you?  
  
YUA's soft side: YUA's soft side! Y'know at heart, he's a helpless romantic!  
  
Reviewers: O.o  
  
YUA's soft side: He's thinking about something between Jennifer and Jack.  
  
Reviewers: o.O  
  
YUA: NO! BAH!!! **takes control again** Um, ahem. Anyway, I've been tossing around ideas for my own alien. The thing is, If I want to put it in, I want your approval first. Secondly, I would need a visual. I can't draw crap except for manga, so if anyone is a good creative artist who's up for a job, gimme a line at my email! I want your approval because throwing my own alien might throw off the feel of the story. If you don't like the idea, don't be afraid to say so. Remember, I accept flames! 


	5. Breeding of an Army

YUA: Hello people of peoples! Yes, I know it has been a long time, and hopefully none of you have lost interest in this story. I hope. Answers to your reviews!

Chaos: Thanks a bunch!

Hao: Um, dude, I was describing the Slave. Y'know, with the bands of green and the lightning…?

MikeFS: Yea, I agree. It was short. But I was saving the action for the next scene which is…oh! It's this one! Mwahaha…you'll never guess what they find in the garage…not in a MILLION years.

Blizrun: Hmm…so you don't care either way, huh? Actually, I decided against. All action baby! Like action as in "BLAM! DIE MOTHER &*%^ER!!!!!!"

Secular Anarchy: Whoa! Thanks! 

Ok! On with the chapter. Oh, I have a feeling I'll need some rockets for this chapter…

-

Half Life: Advanced Generation

-

"We're almost there I think." Chad was making his way over a pile of rubble, with blood spattered over every piece. Jack was doing his best to try and keep from vomiting, as most of the blood was still wet.

"I smell something…and it smells horrendous…" Jennifer's nose cringed, and she put on her gas mask once again.

"Probably just another body."

"No…it smells like…I don't know. But trust me, I would know if it was a body. Alien or human, I would know. It…smells like burning…" Jennifer didn't get to finish her sentence before she tripped over a large, blue piece of rubble, or so they thought. 

"The hell?" one end of the piece seemed to be torn, as if ripped from a larger entity. Sinew and muscle trailed from the ripped end. The other end was partly open, almost like a crab claw, except the inside edges were not serrated like a saw. Wisps of smoke slowly rose from the opening, and it smelled of a mix between gasoline and something matching the sickening smell of rotting flesh.

"That's no piece of debris…it's a piece from something very big…" Jennifer hastily jumped off of the blue thing, the poked it with her gun. It billowed more smoke, before finally bursting into small flames. 

"…That is just screwed up…" Jack stood, hypnotized by the flames, as if a moth attracted to a bright light.

"Jack! C'mon! We've got to keep moving." Jack broke free from his momentary lapse, and caught up with his other two companions.

*****

"Colonel Stalen! I advise immediate retreat! There's too many! We have to pu—AAAAAHHHHH!!!" The soldier didn't have enough time to finish. He was bathed in a stream of fire, slowly falling to the ground as the flames incinerated him. Soon, there was nothing left but ashes.

"Shit! Alright, fall back! Make sure to bring the tank!" How ironic was it, that as soon as he said that, the monstrosity brought it's foot down upon the M1 Abram, crushing it and everyone that was inside.

"Dammit! Fall back!!" Stalen began to cover his teammates as they raced passed him. It was a sea teeming with brown aliens, with seemed to follow the whim of others. Slaves, they were called. And the monstrosity, which was almost like the flagship of the force, was a force to be reckoned with. One of them could take out an entire platoon. After he made sure his whole team was accounted for, he followed suit, still firing behind him, not bothering to look back at the fate that had been bestowed upon his fallen comrades. Then it hit him. It was so obvious.

It was an army, bred for invasion.

*****

"Yes! We're here! The vehicle garage!" Chad ran ahead, too lost in his happiness to keep alert for the surroundings. 

Yes! Finally! Anything left?" Jack joined Chad in running, but Jennifer ketp walking, always cautious.

"Yeah, there's one jeep left. I wonder if---"

"There! Over by the jeep!" The gruff voice of a soldier, obviously male, rang out, and bullets flew over head. Jack didn't make it very far out, so he stayed behind the wall, out of the line of sight. Meanwhile, Chad took cover behind the jeep.

[Yes! Some of my buddies! Ha! Now, about that bullet in the head…] Jennifer raised her assault rifle to the back of Jack's head. He was completely oblivious, keeping his attention trained on the soldiers around the corner.

"HOLY SHIT!!!" Jennifer's conscious was stalled, however, as the screams of her comrades echoed throughout the garage.

"Oh my God…" Chad stood up and froze, completely paralyzed by pure terror.

"Chad! Get down!" But Jack's cry fell upon deaf ears. Chad remained where he was.

"FUCK!!!" Jennifer peeked around the corner, and her eyes went wide.

There, in the middle of the garage, was the most hideous thing she had ever seen. The ground beneath it was no longer present, and three tentacles burst forth, causing her two fellow soldiers to fall to their feet. One of the things reared back, and let out an eerie moan. The other two went wild, as if searching for something. Their green bodies oozed with a yellow substance, and each had something resembling a nose, except they were made to be weapons. An axe. More accurately, the scythe of a grim reaper.

"SHOOT---AAAARRRGGHHH!!!" As soon as the words left his mouth, one soldier was speared straight through the chest, and lifted into the air. The man was still alive, screaming as he ascended. The other two tentacles helped their brother scrape the annoyance off its scythe, and the screaming body was tossed into the hole from which the things came from. Sickening noises were heard, and screams that were loud enough to sound throughout the compound radiated from the hole.

The other soldier, obviously afraid, began to back up, making small grunts and noises to let the air out of his lungs. The same tentacle, the one with his friends blood smeared on the scythe, turned towards him. He froze. The green thing lowered itself to his level, and stared at him. Those red, beady eyes searching, looking for something. The soldier let out a stifled sob. The tentacle roared, and picked the soldier up, using something like a vacuum suction cup. He was picked up by the head, still sobbing, crying uncontrollably.

"DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!" He let loose with a grenade, which was propelled into the hole, and the tentacle let go of him, letting him fall to the ground. His leg bent the wrong way, and several snaps were heard. His leg had broken, but he was still alive. All three things writhed in pain, and disappeared into the blackness. 

The soldier curled up, bringing his good knee to his chest, sobbing, still crying at the loss of his friend.

Jennifer was broken. She had felt the same way before. She had lost many loved ones. She rushed forward, almost to the soldier's side.

All three tentacles boiled forth once more, and one came down onto the crying soldier, the scythe piercing his skull, and going halfway into his body, before pushing itself back up, with the body dangling lifelessly from its scythe. The tentacle shook vigorously, as a shark would to tear off a piece of flesh, and the soldier's body was flung against the wall, on the opposite side of the corner Jack was hiding behind. It bounced off the wall, leaving a splatter of blood where it hit, and fell down onto the pavement. Jack could see the insides of his body, down to his intestines, and his brains leaking out. He became violently sick, he took no time to bend over, letting the bile out of his throat.

This, in turn, caught the attention of the three tentacles, and they turned in the direction the sound of splattering liquid had came from. One of them looked down at Jennifer, who fell to her knees, letting go of her gun.

"Jennifer! Move!" Chad had regained his composure, and begged her to move out of the way. The tentacle reared back, preparing to bring it's blade crashing down onto her. Taking the risk, Chad fired a grenade into the group of tentacles, with Jennifer barely outside of the blast radius. They wretched and moaned, disappearing again into the blackness.

Chad rushed forward, grabbing Jennifer's two hands and dragged her back to the corner where Jack was hiding. Jack was currently on the floor, still spilling his guts.

"Dammit. I'm going to see if the car has the keys. You two stay here." Jack nodded, and Chad carefully went out into plain view. He waved and made all sorts of movement, but no sound at all. None of the tentacles took notice of him.

[Just as I thought. They react only to sound. This is not going to be easy…] He quietly stepped over to the car, and checked for the keys. They were there. He celebrated mentally, but the task now was to make no noise at all. He looked back at Jack, who was watching carefully. He made all sorts of signals, but Jack couldn't understand. Chad pointed to his ears and shook his head. Jack thought he meant they couldn't hear.

"What?!" He yelled. All three of them turned their direction to that part of the garage. Chad nodded to him. Now Jack knew what they would do. They reacted to sound, not sight or smell. He wanted to distract them.

"HEY!! OVER HERE!!! LOOK HERE!!!!" While Jack made as much noise as he could, Chad started the car, but the roar of the engine echoed throughout the garage, and worse, it backfired once. One tentacle came crashing down, but the jeep was just of out reach. Chad smiled devilishly, and was about to get in the drivers seat, when a huge gob of light blue material smothered the jeep, melting it until nothing was left but a pile of blue.

"Uncanny…" Chad looked up to see the same stuff was dripping from the tentacles mouth, and he decided to run back to the hiding spot. He ran as fast as he could, with three gobs of the blue acid barely missing him.

"Godamn! These things are smart! First they have knives for a nose, now they can spit acid stuff?!" Jack cursed under his breath, and Jennifer stood up.

"Leave it to me." 

"Uh…Jennifer?" She took a grenade out, one that was supposed to be fired from a gun, except she didn't load into the secondary weapon attachment. Instead, she threw it out to the other side of the garage. It bounced three times, making a clang noise as it did. The attention of the alien turned to that direction and all three humans ran out from cover, stepping softly but going as fast as they could. Chad let one of his feet come down rather loudly, and the aliens looked straight at them. One reached out to slice him in half, but couldn't reach. All three humans were "motivated" to run even faster, now that they had been detected. They dove behind the wall leading to the exit, narrowly dodging another salvo of acid.

"Damn. No more cars. We have to go by foot." Jennifer listened to Chad's remark, but she was busy thinking. That was the second time they had spared her life, or saved her. Perhaps she should team up. They were proving to be valuable allies.

"Jennifer! C'mon!" She looked up, and ran to her companions, heading for the exit, leaving the moans and haunting cries of the alien behind.

-

YUA: Hahaha! An excellent chapter! My favorite so far! And yes, I know it's not the same type of tentacle monster, but remember how I said I might introduce my own aliens? Well, let's just say some of the species…uh, "evolved". **evil, EVIL grin** Bwahahaha…


	6. Rumors

YUA: Hello peoples! Glad to see my story is still in check by some people. Now, answers to the…uh, two reviews.

hao: SPEAK IN COHERENT SENTECES, DAMMIT!!!! Air filter, anti tank?! WTF?! The garg stepped on the tank! STEPPED ON!!! And why the hell is Jennifer a whore? If she was real, she could kick anyone's ass. ANY marine could kick anyone's ass. (Semper Fi!). One more thing. The slave has ONE large eye. And more small eyes. But I said "nailing the creature in it's one large eye." It only has one large eye!

MikeFS: Thank you! I always like to be called evil. Brownie points for you! But I have no brownies, so you can have a rocket launcher! (Dude! What does this button---BOOMINESS!!!) The reason behind the evolution of the aliens is still a mystery, but it will be uncovered in future chapters. And yes, NO story has ever made me cry. Only visuals, like Pearl Harbor and whenever an RPG character dies. I'm very emotional when it comes to RPGs…don't ask. No, seriously, don't ask.

Ok, that's all! Here we go with this chapter! Oh, this time, we start off with Colonel Stalen, instead of our normal trio!

-

Half Life: Advanced Generation

-

"This is insane! I can't believe they sent us here. They should nuke the place! What can we do against thousands of---"

"Cram it soldier! You were sent here to help save the world, not whine about how hard it is! You're a marine, dammit!" Colonel Stalen glared at the complaining soldier, who was now very quiet and timid. His whole unit had gone into hiding in one of the many storage buildings. It was the roomiest place they could find. Not to mention it was very out of the way.

"Tech!"

"Sir! Yes sir!"

"Get me HQ online. See if they have anything planned."

"Sir!" The tech turned to his radio, frantically switching every single button he saw, forgetting his training on how to keep cool. He pushed the antenna up, and grabbed the microphone, setting it to the correct frequency.

"Come in HQ! Repeat, come in HQ! This is Alpha Team! Requesting reinforcements! Over!" Every soldier in the unit leaned forward, eager to hear the response that could possibly save their lives. Everyone stopped breathing. Static was heard before an answer came through.

"Negative Alpha team. Reinforcements denied. The President has plans to glass the place."

"What?! A nuke?! They can't---" The tech was interrupted as a bullet from Stalen's gun found it's way into the radio.

"S-Sir?"

"We can't rely on HQ anymore. They are taking the security of the country above the security of the marines. I can't blame them."

"But a nuke?! They can't!"

"Why not?"

"What about the treaty?!"

"Do you really think it matters any more?" The tech was silent. Stalen's face had turned grim, and he resumed staring off into space, trying to think of something.

"Dammit! I knew they wouldn't help us. We were just sent here to die! If I ever get out of here, getting laid is going to be the first thing on my agenda."

"SHUT UP PRIVATE!!!" Stalen's face was red with anger, and the soldier zipped his mouth, not daring to let out another word. The rest of the unit was quiet too, but a few chuckles escaped their mouths. Another soldier chimed in.

"I'm gonna go see your mom as soon as we get outta here, Zackary." The unit let out some light laughter, and even Stalen decided to have a little fun.

"I guess all we do is wait. Why don't we pass the time by telling some jokes?" Not much, he thought, but anything to get their minds off of their impending deaths.

"Sppptzzz…" Some static came over Stalen's walkie. He grabbed it from his belt and put it to his ear.

"Colonel Stalen, Alpha Team. Report to coordinates zero-five-two-seven. We've got some new toys for you." The cold, almost serpentine voice was no more, and the team was perplexed.

"We weren't informed of an equipment drop, were we?"

*****

Jennifer, Jack, and Chad continued forward, with Jennifer leading. She hardly ever blinked, never giving herself the chance to rest. Truthfully, she was afraid. Afraid to die, afraid to be eaten or mutated. She didn't want to go like that. If she was going to die, it would be from a bullet. A bullet from her own gun.

"Where are we? I've never seen this part of the facility before." Jack stared at the new area they had just entered, keeping a tight grip on the trigger of his gun. Chad pointed to some writing on the wall.

"Extraterrestrial Studies. Perfect." Jack groaned, and a bead of sweat dropped down Jennifer's face.

"This isn't a good path. We should find another way."

"What's so wrong with this way?"

"Maybe this is where they spawn from. What if we're walking into their nest or something?" Jennifer took three steps back. It was quite obvious she was afraid. Static fizzled over her talkie, and her heart stopped. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and picked the talkie off of her belt.

"Commander Macklevene."

"This is Private Macklevene. The commander was KIA-ed."

"You're the commander now. Move to coordinates zero-five-two-seven. New equipment is to be distributed." The serpentine voice faded away. Jennifer tried to call back, but no answer. All three were puzzled by this sudden order. Jack spoke up.

"Where the heck is zero-five whatever?"

"It's located inside the radioactive material distribution plant. That means we head north, away from this place." Inside, she was elated to get away from this building. She didn't want to find out what was inside. 

"New equipment? What do you think they've got?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know we were going to be getting equipment drops during this mission."

*****

"Colonel Stalen, I presume?" The man that called his name was in a blue suit, with a suitcase handcuffed to each of his wrists. The Colonel stepped forward.

"We were called here for an equipment drop."

"Indeed." The man waved his hand, and two forklifts came from behind him, carrying two very large boxes.

"Inside you will find your…toys…" Stalen looked from the man to the boxes, but when he looked up, the man was gone.

"Damn…weird shit going on here…Tech! Open the box!"

"Sir!" The tech rushed forward, using a crowbar to pry the nails holding the wooden crate together. After he had pulled the last one, all four walls collapsed, and Alpha Team stood in awe.

There, right in front of them, were the most beautiful weapons they had ever seen. One had a large funnel cone for the barrel, with three batteries on the interior. Electricity arced from each battery, and the gun sparked with power.

The other was heavy. A backpack attached to a hose, with the hose attached to the most wonderful piece of machinery they had ever seen. The barrel was a straight cylinder, with only a lever sticking out of the side.

"Sir?" The tech tapped Stalen on the shoulder.

"What is it?"

"The suitcase that he left…it has the plans and instructions for each weapon."

"Godamn! This thing is heavy!" One soldier tried to pick up the backpacked gun, and strapped it on. He staggered backwards a few steps before actually regaining his balance.

"It also has the names…that one is the Gluon gun and the other is the…Gauss Rifle…" The Tech's eyes went wide. The experimental laser weapons. Now they didn't have to wait for the fight. They could bring the fight wherever they wanted.

"Open the other box." The other box was considerably larger, and the Tech need three more marines to help him pry it open. Inside was a whole supply of Gauss rifles and Gluon guns. Stalen smirked. This was too easy. He was just about to grab his very own Gauss rifle, before a lone soldier rounded the corner of a building. Her blonde hair swayed in the breeze, and she ran up to Stalen.

"Sir!"

"At ease, private…private…?"

"Macklevene, sir."

"Where's the rest of your team?"

"Dead."

"Oh." He felt a twinge of pity for her, but pushed it aside.

"Sir? I have something to ask you."

"Yes?"

"I have two scientists with me. They've proven to be quite helpful. Should I kill them or can they help us?"

"Let them come. The President is going to nuke the place anyway. Might as well team up." She turned and faced the corner she had come from.

"Come on out guys!" Two men came round the building, bot holding their assault rifles at their sides.

"Scientists!" One soldier brought his newly acquired laser up, and the two scientists raised their rifles.

"Hold your fire, men. They're joining he team."

"But sir…"

"They're gonna nuke the place! Our mission doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes sir." Both scientists were now very cautious, but walked over to the team.

"I'm Colonel Stalen. Welcome to Alpha Team." His hand extended, and the scientist eyed it suspiciously beofre taking his hand in his own. The hand shake brought the two groups to an understanding, and the soldiers now saw from the scientists' point of view.

"This is Chad Freeman and Jack Salington. They've helped me numerous times." Jennifer introduced them and looked behind the team.

"Oh my God! I thought those weapons were only rumors?!"

"Not anymore." There were just enough left for Jennifer and Chad and Jack. Two Gauss Rifles and one last Gluon gun. Jennifer wondered how the person on her talkie knew she had two scientists with her, but she didn't care. These weapons were going to keep them alive.

"I guess now they want some field testing for these babies." Jennifer patted the Gluon gun before strapping it on he back, and Chad and Jack took the Gauss rifles. Chad examined it, watching the bolts of blue arc from each battery pack to the next.

"Sir…I'm getting movement on the motion tracker…South-Southwest!" Just as he finished his sentence, four creatures had burst through a doorway, making their way into the clearing. All of them were the same type. Bipedal, with numerous tentacles sprouting from around what appeared to be the mouth. The sniffed the air, saw the marines, and charged.

"Open fire!"

The hail of white hot energy cut all but two of the monsters in half. One of them charged forward, getting closer and closer. It was right next to one soldier, whose heavy weapon took time to aim. The creature whipped it's tail around, sending the hooked appendage through the soldier's torso. He screamed in pain, and fell onto his back. Stalen turned and let loose with a single beam of energy from his Gauss rifle, and the laser seared through flesh and bone, cutting a neat hole right behind the eye.

The last alien stayed back, rearing it's head back. It shot forward, and something green came from the thing's mouth. It splashed onto a soldier's leg, who doubled over while screaming in pain. Smoke billowed from his leg, and the green goo melted through his skin. Chad saw the white flash of his femur,. Jennifer nailed the thing with the coiled laser of her Gluon, and the creature convulsed and spasmed before bursting into pieces, showering the team with alien blood and body parts.

"Medic! Tend to this man right away!" The acid gob hit the same man that was struck by the spike. He clawed at his leg like a wild animal, and it took three marines to hold him down so the medic could examine his wound. Only a small bit of his femur had been visible before the medic sealed it with a new method: Bio-foam. The foam acted as a filler, to stop bleeding. It was pretty much a high tech bandage. It was new to the military. Just issued last year, 2016. Now it was 2017. The wounded man wretched and groaned before calming down. The pain had passed, and the injury to his torso was minor.

"I can't believe it. We beat six damn bullsquids without losing a single soldier. It's miraculous!"

"We've got to get going. C'mon! We need to get out of here! Tech! See if you can reach an Osprey!"

"I'm on it sir!"


	7. Darker Reasons

YUA: Here comes some answers!

MikeFS: Yes, it may be short fights with the aliens from Xen, but as I said in a review to WP, The outside world might be no longer…And I don't know WHAT the hell you're talking about. I'd rather have the damn rocket launcher! XDDD

Chaos: Thanks man! And don't worry, I've got many chappies planned!

AND I HAVE BEATEN OPPOSING FORCE!!!!! Race-X is now no longer invisible to me! I know what they are! Yay! I apologize hao, because I didn't know what the F*** you were talking about. Seriously, it's my fault. Sorry.

-

"HOLY SH**, WHAT THE HELL IT THAT?!?!"

----Me, when I first saw Race-X

-

Half Life: Advanced Generation

-

"Move it, soldiers! MOVE!!" Stalen shouted at the top of his lungs as his squad, along with Chad and Jack, ran as fast as they could. The monstrosity crashed through the small wall, trying to stay low but move fast at the same time. One soldier tried to turn and fire a few shots off from his Gauss Rifle, but was smashed under the incredible bulk which belonged to what was called…

The Gargantuan.

"DAMMIT! I didn't tell him to stop and fire!" Stalen cursed under his breath, and ran even faster. The blue giant was beginning to catch up. 

"Sir! I'm reading a difference in the echo intensity in the corridor! Throw a grenade about…30 feet in front of us!"

"I hope you're right tech!" Stalen pulled the cylindrical object from his belt, and pulled the pin. He tossed it as hard as he could while running, and told everyone to cover their eyes. The grenade exploded sending shrapnel a good 40 feet, and one soldier took a piece of structural metal in the arms. He howled in pain, but pressed on.

After the smoke cleared, a hole appeared where concrete had just been.

"TURN HERE!!" Stalen turned in first, his squad following, and leaving the Gargantuan outside, roaring in rage at the loss of its prey.

It was pitch black where they were. Nothing could be seen. All of the soldiers flipped their NVGs over their faces.

"Catch." Stalen tossed two pairs of NVGs to Chad and Jack, and the slipped them on, hitting the switch on the side.

"Everyone, stick close. I'm not sure if this part is even charted." The luminescent green glow of the NVGs was mystifying, and for a moment, it confused the creature that was watching them.

*****

"This had better go as planned. You said this single operation would save the entire world. You're a man of your word, Blackstone, I'll give you that, but how is that possible?"

"In time, Mr. President, all in due time…" The man in the blue suit reassured the president. He turned to look at the window, and a devilish smile crept upon his face.

*****

Stalen and his group continued moving forward…or, what they thought was forward.

Stalen raised his fist.

Nobody was breathing.

Stalen felt something. Something wasn't right.

A horrendous shriek came from the blackness, and one soldier had his entire top half severed from his legs. The legs still stood where they were. 

"AMBUSH!!" Purple bolts of electricity materialized from the darkness, and struck another soldier, pinning him on the wall before he finally burst into bloody bits and pieces.

The whole team was in chaos. The soldiers didn't know what they where shooting at, or what was shooting at them.

Chad ducked into a small indentation, trying to see what was attacking them. He saw it.

A large creature, about half the size of the Gargantuan, became visible. A quadruped, looking to weigh about maybe 2 and a half tons. Two large scythes on the end of its arms served as melee weapons, and the creature generated more electricity. The body gave off a ghostly yellow glow, and purple stripes streaked across its back.

The thing roared, which sounded a lot like a bull or a moose, and charged straight for another soldier. The soldier turned to the sound of galloping only to find a blade come across his chest. He tumbled backwards, blood spraying from the large laceration, but he continued firing. The Gauss Rifle seared through flesh, but the creature wasn't even phased. It pranced upon the soldiers body, crushing him over and over, until he was barely recognizable.

Jennifer raised her gluon gun, pulling the lever, and heard the satisfying noise of a splattering monster. She was showered with yellow blood, and turned to the next monster. That one died the same way, at the hands of Jennifer's Gluon Gun. The last monster burst into pieces.

Stalen was breathing heavily.

"Check in!' He called. Everyone called out his or her names. Stalen remembered his squad by heart. Wells was gone, as was Stukov and Bertell. 

"Jack?!" Chad cried out in vain. He tried again.

"JACK?!" Nothing. He searched and searched, before finding a Gauss rifle with bloody hand prints over it, and a torn lab coat nearby. Jacks name tag was attached.

"Dear God, no! Please no….no…NO!!!" Chad's rage reached the boiling point.

"GODAMN MOTHER FUCKERS!!!! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOUR KIND!!!" A few tears fell, and he was brought to his knees, sobbing. Jennifer came over and pat his shoulder.

"C'mon. We all lost some friends. We need to get out of here."

"YOU'RE A SOLDIER! DEATH MEANS NOTHING TO YOU!!" He pushed her hand away, and picked up Jack's lab coat. Or, what was left, anyway. He buried his face in it, and ripped the name tag off, stuffing it into his pocket. He stood.

"Alright. I'm ready to go." His tears had dried up, and he raised his head proud.

"Atta' boy! Now let's get out of here!"

*****

"My plans are coming to a close, Mr. President. I'd like to thank you for trusting me this far."

"What about Earth? Is it okay?" He looked out the window, seeing two towering creatures stomping through the city.

"Blackstone! What has---" 

CH-CHK!!

The president turned around. At least 15 men, all armed with MP5Ks and in total black, had their sights set on the president.

"What's going on here?!"

"You see, Mr. President, you are uh…well, an affront to my plans. I've struck another deal elsewhere. You're of no longer use. In fact…" His devilish grin returned.

"My benefactor wants you dead."

"WHAT?!?! I PAYED YOU GO---" He was cut short as round after round entered and exited his body, making him shake with each impact. They kept firing until he was pinned against the wall. The firing stopped. The President's body slid down, leaving a large splatter of crimson on the wall.

"Game over, Mr. President."

-

YUA: Ooooo, mystery! If you don't know, which you probably DO know, the creatures were Voltigores. The scared the ^*$& outta me in the Voltigore maze in OpFor. Hoped I kept you on the edge of your seats during this chap! Be back soon with another!


End file.
